An electric folding bike that’s actually light? Meet the Hummingbird

Folding bikes are just the thing if you want to commute to work and use some public transport. Ride to the train station, avoid the insane parking fees, fold it up, then hop on the train and ride into work at the other end. When you get there, simply fold it up while you’re working. Brilliant.

The trouble is, especially in this weather, you can get all sweaty and hot when peddling in. What is your clever folding bike was electric? Well, that’s just what we have here, and it’s from Prodrive. Yes, Prodrive. The people who do motorsport programmes for Aston Martin, MINI and VW. They’ve created a foldable bike which is just 10.3kg, but it’s electric, and it’s got a top speed of 25kph. That’s a nudge over 15.5mph. The range is over 30km, which is over 18 miles. The bike features the highest power-to-weight ratio on the market for its class.

Now, this is all great but you do need to consider a couple of other things. First, the Hummingbird non-electric version only weighs 6.9Kg. Secondly, prices start at​ £4,495… which is a lot.

Head to HummingBirdBike.com for more information. This is a bike which is made in Britain and can be charged in two hours. Not only that, but you can control it remotely via a smartphone app.​ This will show the usage and you can control the power via Bluetooth. You can also do online diagnosis, bike-oriented navigation, mobility stats and other social functions. Not only that, but as a security measure you can also lock the rear wheel.

There’s no separate battery and the brushless 250 W motor plus the 160 Wh lithium battery is packed into a discreet rear wheel hub. It’ll cleverly sense the needs of the ride, delivering the right amount of power when you need it. Just start cycling and then back pedal three revolutions to start the motor. It’ll automatically shut down after you’re stopped moving.